ACT IV.
SCENE I.—AURELIUS’ CAMP.
Enter Aurelius, Uter, Pascentius, and Flavia.
Aur. You, then, escap’d, disguis’d in man’s attire?
Fla. ’Tis true, I did; but ne’er hath rapier yet
Adorn’d a side less fitting to support it.
Aur. To you, Pascentius, my best thanks are due.
Pas. Nay, nay; ’tis little that to me you owe.
Fla. Indeed, but for his aid, I long, ere this
Had broke my sacred vow, and wedded death.
Uter. Brother, the enemy is near at hand;
Straight let us forth, and range our troops for battle.
Aur. Go you before, and swift I’ll follow.
Now to thy care, my dearest friend, I trust
Thy beauteous sister, and my sweetest love.
Should victory proclaim the day our own,
All will be well; but should the loss be ours,
To heav’n’s just guard I must resign you both.
Two trusty servants have I plac’d without,
Who will conduct you westward of our camp:
If we be beaten, thither we’ll retreat.
Haste! fare thee well, sweet love.
Fla. This token let me brace around thine arm,
Think of me in the field, nor let revenge
Blot from thy gen’rous breast all sense of pity.
Aur. O! cruel fortune, so soon to wrench from me
This lovely form; to steal thy beauteous hand,
And offer to my grasp this weighty steel.
[Exeunt.
SCENE II.—THE CAMP OF HENGIST.
Enter Hengist and Horsus.
Heng. Have Vortigern’s brave sons yet ta’en their station?
Hor. Yea, to our right the Briton’s strength is form’d.
Heng. Then, bid them wait the enemy’s attack.
[Exit Hor.
Now, O, ye gods! prove to my pray’r propitious,
And yield me but the victory this day.
A mightier force I’ve summon’d to this isle,
And with them my fair daughter will arrive.
If, then, her beauty catch this vicious king,
E’en as mine own I’ll hail the fertile land,
And these brave Britons, by my arts and arms,
Bind to a foreign yoke.
SCENE III.—A WOOD.
Enter Britons and Saxons; they encounter the Scots, and after a hard contest, the Scots are defeated.
Enter Aurelius and Uter.
Aur. O, brother! fortune frowns, the day is lost.
Uter. But it hath cost them dear!
Rally, then, our troops, and march them towards the west.
[Exeunt.
SCENE IV.—ANOTHER PART OF THE FIELD.
Enter Flavia and Pascentius.
Pas. Be of good cheer; tho’ they have lost the day,
Yet was the victory most dearly bought:
The Scots, too, in good order, have retir’d.
Enter Horsus.
Say, what’s thy business in this bloody field,
And who’s the maid that bears thee company?
It should seem, that thou hast fought and conquer’d;
And hast, in triumph, seiz’d on this fair prize.
Pas. I, sir, am her protector.
Hor. If thou’lt resign her, here is gold for thee.
Pas. Although my peasant habit, shows me poor,
Yet covers it a soul that boldly scorns thee:
I am a Briton, sir, will that suffice thee?
Hor. Vile stripling! dost thou know me?
Pas. I do not.
Hor. Thou shalt repent this!
Pas. Approach her not, if yet thou lov’st thyself.
Hor. Thy lack of years doth save thee from my wrath:
Thou beardless boy, who thus doth ape the man,
Once more, I tell thee!—
Fla. O, Pascentius! O, my brother!
Pas. Fear naught, he shall not harm thee, gentle Flavia.
(To Horsus.) Insolent, presumptuous slave! what wouldst thou?
Hor. I’ll make thee dearly answer for thy rashness.
[They fight, and Horsus falls.
Oh! I am wounded! speak, what is thy name?
But thou art brave, and I forgive thee this:
Good youth, approach, I fain would tell thee something:
But O! I’m faint, death’s cold and heavy hand
Doth rest like ice upon my parting soul.
Go to the king, I pray thee,
Bid him beware of Hengist.
[Dies.
Pas. I now lament the deed that I have done.
Fla. O! sadly doth repentance sit on us.
Pas. How soon this lord of the creation dies;
The errant’st coward now may spurn him!
Fla. Sure, he did make some mention of our father,
And bade us tell him to beware of Hengist.
Pas. Something, methinks, he spoke to that effect:
This, must our parent know.
[Exeunt.
SCENE V.—A WOOD.
Enter Hengist and Officer.
Heng. Hath Horsus yet been found?
Off. Thrice has the field, with greatest care, been search’d;
But all in vain.
Heng. Then, have I lost my first, my dearest friend:
If he be slain, by the great gods I swear,
I will revenge him on these Scottish-men.
But, whither are the princes now retir’d?
Off. Towards Badon Hill.
The day was bloody, and it cost us dear:
The Scots were firm, and fought us, man to man:
Four thousand souls have perish’d.
Heng. Good heav’ns!
Enter another Officer.
What’s thy business?
2nd Off. Fourteen thousand troops have join’d our army,
And with them your fair daughter;—look, she comes!
Enter Rowena.
Row. (Kneeling.) O! joy once more to see my father’s face.
Heng. Rise, rise, my child!
Row. First with my kisses let me dew this hand,
And round a father’s neck these arms entwine.
Enter Soldier.
Sold. From London, Vortigern is on his march;
And comes, in haste, to greet your late success.
Heng. ’Tis well! go straight, put all in readiness.
Retire! I would be private with my daughter.
Off. We obey, my lord.
[Exeunt Officers.
Heng. Daughter, thou heard’st but now o’th’ King’s approach.
Row. Your officer so express’d it!
Heng. True! and dost hear, much rests with thee to act.
Row. If aught, dear father, my poor services
Can aid thee, but command, and I’ll obey.
Heng. Thus then it is:—I shall prepare a feast,
And greet the King with joy and merriment.
Women, I know, have very many ways,
And subtle traps, to catch the hearts of men:
So practice all your wiles to win his love.
Row. But should I fail?
Heng. Nay, fear it not; his nature well I know.
Come to my tent, and there we’ll weigh this business.
[Exeunt.
SCENE VI.—A MAGNIFICENT FEAST.
Vortigern on a Throne. Hengist, Wortimerus, Catagrinus, Lords and Ladies, with Attendants.
Vor. To mirth we dedicate this noble feast!
And you, brave Hengist, do we greet withal.
Heng. O! my most gracious King, I am unworthy.
Vor. Thou didst fight manfully, and bravely conquer.
Wine there! a health to Hengist! would that Horsus
Were here to grace the feast.
Lords. The King doth drink.
Heng. Thou sentest for me, noble sir, to fight;
I have done naught, save that I promis’d:
Had I play’d other than the soldier’s part,
Then had I tarnish’d the true Saxon name.
[Hengist speaks to one of the Lords aside.
Vor. Thou, Hengist, at our hands, hast well deserv’d;
We will consider, and reward thy labours.
Enter Rowena.
Ye heavenly powers! what lovely maid is this,
Whose form might raise the blush in Dian’s cheek?
Heng. Rowena, sir; my daughter, and your slave.
Row. (Kneeling.) All hail, great King!
Vor. O! thou most lovely maiden!
Here let me pledge thee in this golden cup.
On its smooth brim, I pray thee, print a kiss,
That so I may inhale the roseate sweets,
And taste the nectar of those vermil lips.
[Takes the cup and drinks.
This seat is empty; fair Rowena, take it:
Would it were that Jove’s haughty wife doth grace!
Cata. It is Edmunda’s place; the queen’s, our mother’s.
Vor. Peace! she is unworthy of that station.
Wort. She, sir, is our queen; and, though not present,
Most righteously, the law awards it her’s.
Any usurping it, doth break the law.
Vor. How! do ye murmur? Must I then humble,
And stoop the neck to bear my children’s yoke?
Begone, I say! lest that my present wrath
Make me forget the place by blood I hold,
And break the tie ’twixt father and his child.
Wort. We shall retire, my lord.
Vor. Here sit, fair maid! if I presage not vainly,
Thou shalt, ere long, by right assume this place.
Row. How can I merit love of such a King?
An humble vassal only.
Vor. Thy meekness and sweet looks have won my soul.
O! let thy tongue here title me thy lord!
Row. Already, sir, have I avow’d you King.
Vor. And, therefore, here I do proclaim thee Queen.
Good Hengist, speak! wilt thou consent hereto?
Heng. My lord, that honour is too weighty.
Vor. Then speak, my lords: what say ye to my choice?
True, I am married, and my wife doth live;
Yet none, methinks, by law, can here be bound,
When the dread wrath of heaven doth show itself,
And on a wedded wife pours madness down.
1st Lord. The law, methinks, should, then, proclaim it void.
Vor. Be it, then, void: and here I pledge myself,
To take this lovely maiden to my wife.
To thee, good Hengist, we resign all Kent,
As a sure earnest of our future bounty:
Proclaim it in the camp; and let each man
Receive in largess, from our royal coffers,
That massy ore, which long hath lain entomb’d,
And now shall well reward the soldiers’ toils.
2nd Lord. The law allows not this; it is not justice.
3rd Lord. That power lies in the barons, not the King.
Vor. What! dare ye, then, dispute it?
All but 1st Lord. We do.
3rd Lord. And while the power remains that’s vested in us,
We ne’er will countenance a vile injustice,
That tramples on our country’s dearest rights.
Vor. Take heed, lest this your rashness ye repent.
[Exeunt Lords.
Scene closes. Vortigern comes forward.
Vor. O! these vile, petty kings, do make more uproar,
E’en than, above, the thund’ring god himself.
To-morrow be the nuptials loud proclaim’d:
And that Guorongus, that proud lord of Kent,
Who boldly in our presence call’d for justice,
His lands, his property, and all his titles,
We here invest with Hengist and his line.
[Hengist bows.
Vor. to Row. Give me thy hand; let us retire, my Queen!
[Exeunt.
SCENE VII.—AN ANTI-CHAMBER.
Enter Wortimerus and Catagrinus.
Wort. Shall we, in quiet, tamely suffer this?
See our most excellent, most gentle mother,
In bold defiance of all sacred laws,
Thus basely treated?
Cata. Do they, then, think our substance form’d of flint?
Or that our hearts are adamant itself?
Where is our brother?—where our dearest sister?
I fear, indeed, they had just cause for flight.
Wort. Let’s to the princes, and our troops will follow.
They like not the rude treatment of these Saxons!
Cata. I do accept thine offer.
Enter Lords.
2nd Lord. Most gentle princes, whither are ye bound?
Wort. To quit oppression, and to seek for justice.
3rd Lord. Under your banners, then, we do enlist.
Cata. Speak! what hath now been done, that thus ye quit
Your king, your country, and your weighty trust?
2nd Lord. The King, on th’ pretext of malady,
Most basely hath divorc’d your mother from him;
And means to take Rowena to his wife.
Wort. Gods!
2nd Lord. And, her proud father, Hengist, to enrich,
He hath despoil’d me of mine heritage;
And from my sweet, my lovely babes, cut off
Their rights, and ta’en from me my vast estate.
Wort. Then, look you, quick repair towards our camp;
Thither, in secret, we’ll convey our mother.
So, fare ye well, good lords.
[Exeunt.
SCENE VIII.
Enter Aurelius, Uter, Pascentius, and Flavia.
Aur. Though bloody battle calls us forth again,
I’ll rather part with life, with all on earth,
Than leave thee, Flavia, unprotected.
Uter. Hengist hath pitch’d on t’other side of Badon:
The noise of arms, and distant hum of soldiers,
Bespeak their hasty preparation.
’Twere best to attack them early in the morn.
Aur. Then be it so.
Pas. And yet I must not ’gainst my father arm!
Fla. Indeed, thou’dst arm against thy sister, too!
Who would protect me, then, or calm my fear?
Who sit, and tell me tales of hope? O! no one.
It were too much; you cannot, must not, leave me.
Enter Officer.
Off. Two sons of Vortigern do crave admittance.
Enter Wortimerus and Catagrinus.
Wort. My brother and my sister here!
Cata. O! joy unthought of! oh! unlook’d-for bliss!
Fla. Say; speak! how fares it with my gentle mother?
Wort. Beseech thee, ask me not of her sad story.
Fla. Sad, say’st thou? Heav’n forefend! she is not dead?
Wort. Calm thyself, dear sister, she lives still.
Fla. O! where, where? tell me; that, with these moist tears,
I may rain comfort on her wounded soul.
Wort. Let us retire.
SCENE IX.
Enter the Saxon and British Armies; they fight, and the Saxons are routed.
Enter Hengist and Officer.
Heng. All, all is lost! Fly, fly, to the king’s tent!
Bid him to London speedily repair.
Away, away! tarry not, on your life.
A curse upon his sons for quitting us!
Should they but follow up this victory,
My hope, my every wish, for ever’s blighted.
Enter Wortimerus.
Heng. Vile traitor to your liege King and your Sire!
What blasted fiend, blacker than hell itself,
Could prompt thee to this damned treachery?
Wort. Canst thou, base Saxon! thou, base braggart, ask it?
’Tis thou, and on thy soul, I’ll prove it so.
Heng. Ask where’s thy queen, and then I’ll answer thee!
Wort. Dares thus thy tongue, with notes unmannerly,
My heart-strings tear asunder? Fiend, have at thee!
[They fight, Hengist falls.
Heng. Thine hand be wither’d for this fatal blow.
And must, then, all my hopes lie buried here?
Wort. Yea; and thou need’st not much of Kent’s domain;
A little mole-hill now will serve.
Heng. Yet, chance one lives, that may avenge this deed.
’Tis the brave Horsus; ’tis my noble friend!
Wort. He fought his last.
On him were found the secrets of thy plot.
Wouldst thou not have enthrall’d my countrymen?
Was not thy daughter to have basely poison’d
Her king, and husband? and, then, wert not thou
To have seiz’d the crown? O! villain, villain! traitor!
Heng. Yea; all, had I but liv’d a little longer.
Hell, swallow me not up! nor ope thy jaws
So wide. The fiends do tug, and strain my heart-strings!
They burst, they crack!—Oh! curs’d ambition! Oh!
[Dies.
Enter Catagrinus.
Cata. All, all is ours: the ranks are broken!—
They fly before us; come, let’s follow them.
Good heav’ns! who’s this?
[Looking to the body of Hengist.
Wort. Hengist himself.
Cata. And was it thou didst slay the monster fell?
Wort. Ay, marry; but he fought, indeed, like one
That begg’d a little time to save his soul.
Cata. Our father hath towards London ta’en his flight:
But yet, Rowena is our prisoner.
Wort. That’s well, indeed: come, let us on, and join them.
[Exeunt.
SCENE X.—VORTIGERN’S PALACE.
Enter Vortigern and First Baron.
1st Bar. Speed, my most gracious lord! think on your safety.
They course your troops, and dreadful is the carnage.
Vor. Where are my sons?
1st Bar. Let not your tongue curse me when I shall say.
Vor. Speak, quick!
1st Bar. With all their troops they join’d the enemy,
And bore with them their mother.
Enter Officer.
Vor. Well, sir; and what more tidings do you bring?
Off. To London’s lofty walls they’ve follow’d us.
Vor. I care not an’ they follow’d to the grave.
Speak, vassal! coward, speak! where is Rowena?
Off. Alas! I fear me, sir, she’s ta’en a prisoner.
Vor. Then all, indeed, is lost!—Thou sweetest death!
Bury but in this bosom thy fell dart,
And I will bless thee for the gentle deed.
Off. Shall I go forth, my lord, and man the walls?
Vor. Do as thou wilt.
Good friend, I’d speak with thee.
Off. What, sir, are your commands?
Vor. Thou art an old, and ever faithful servant.
Off. My means have not kept pace with my desires.
Vor. I know thee well. Wouldst thou not serve me, friend?
Off. Ay, my good lord: but put me to the test,
And you shall see me smile on death himself.
Vor. I take thee at thy word. Hold here my sword,
And but one friendly office render me:
Flinch not, strike deep and home: there lies my heart.
Off. O! if each drop that were to issue from thee,
Was a most costly jewel, and the whole
Were my reward, by heav’n I would not do’t!
Vor. Thou coward! what, afraid? O! shame, fie on’t!
Off. Consider, sir, your queen yet lives.
Vor. My friend, thou’rt in the right. To arms, then,—out.
Bring me my burnish’d shield, my weighty axe,
And man the northern gate; let every bell
Sound forth its brazen peal, until they rouse
Our tombed fathers from their silent graves,
To come and aid us at this pinch of time:
Ring till the very steeples totter down.
Mark well my orders; he that flinches, dies.
If aught of murmur’s heard, choak it with death.
Away, away! the grave or victory!
END OF THE FOURTH ACT.